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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — certain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — final
  13. rush — hurry
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. last — to go on
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chip — for betting
  19. band — a ring
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com